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Ten Birds That Help
Control Garden Pests. Boyle, S. June/July 2002. National Wildlife. 40(4).
(Newsletter)
http://enature.com/articles/detail.asp?storyID=627
There are ten key avian bird
predators, according to Boyle, that eat typical garden pests thereby
reducing or eliminating the need for pesticides. These are the
preferred alternatives to pesticide use. Some of the key species
mentioned are: purple martins, violet-green swallows, red-eyed and
warbling vireos, lark and chipping sparrows, downy woodpeckers and
flickers, three different species of warblers, bluebirds, the common
nighthawk, Say’s phoebes, Bullock’s orioles, and two species of wrens.
By planting for fauna to attract birds, you can reduce pests, promote
biodiversity, and enjoy a little bird watching right out your back
door. A link after every bird species provides the plant material and
the habitat necessary to attract the bird.
Preserving
Biodiversity: Species, Ecosystems, or Landscapes. Franklin, J. May
1993. Ecological Applications. 3(2):202-205. (Journal article)
Efforts to preserve biological
diversity are increasingly focused at the species level because of the
reduced numbers of insects, animals, and plants. Franklin argues that
an ecosystem approach is a better way to preserve biodiversity by
conserving habitats such as forest canopies and belowground habitats,
and conserving processes, such as water flow within local watersheds.
This inevitably implies the importance of planning a landscape with
regard to plantings that create forest canopies, belowground habitats,
and processes. Ideally, our yards are part of a larger network of
connected habitats (the ecosystem approach) containing a myriad of
plants and animals essential for a healthy, resilient, and biodiverse
environment.
By cultivating gardens based on
native plant communities, we as humans can help a surprisingly large
number of species. This article urges folks to minimize lawn size, use
native plant vegetation, and take cues from existing natural local
environments when managing yards for biodiversity. Structuring an
overstory and an understory level of plants, allowing leaf litter to
accumulate, and enabling natural cycles to persist are just a few of the
ways in which biodiversity can be homegrown.
Bringing Conservation
from the Countryside to Your Backyard. 2006. Natural Resource
Conservation Service.
www.nrcs.usda.gov/Feature/backyard/pdf/BkYdWeb6.pdf
This federal government website
offers numerous links to other tip sheets that address landscaping and
gardening ideas for making yards more biodiverse at the same time
attractive and appealing whether in the urban environment or on a
typical suburban lot. The tip sheets are “how-to” in nature with easy
step-by-step instructions detailing desired results in water
conservation, pest management, terracing, backyard wetlands, and
mulching. This is a good resource.
Leaf through this back issue of
Audubon devoted to “Resolutions for a New Millennium” and find many
novel and interesting sustainable practices to help you and your
neighborhood — and the planet through children-centered activities.
Featured are ideas on teaching your children the value of resources and
the value of habitats. If you cannot get to the library, many of the
best articles in this issue (and many others, too) are available online
at the web address, listed above.
Cook examines the upkeep and
benefits of so-called eco-lawns — lawns that are as turf-like as their
traditional counterparts but require less maintenance. He says these
lawns are a good compromise for those who want more sustainable yards
but are not willing to sacrifice the “functionality of turf”. Eco-lawns
mean far less mowing, no fertilizing or weeding, and very little (if
any) watering—leaving more time for yard play. Visit this website to
see if this is a good compromise for you and your family.
Natural Pest Control:
Alternatives to Chemicals for the Home and Garden. Lopez, A. 2004.
Invisible Gardener Publications. Malibu, California. pp. 154.
(Brochure)
Lopez advocates choosing everyday
cooking products found in the grocery store to naturally combat pests in
the garden and around the house. His suggestions range from flour to
biodegradable soaps to Tabasco sauce and herbs. More than just offering
recipes, methods, and sustainable tips, he walks the reader through a
natural history guide to ants, snails, gophers, and roaches suggesting
that if we understand more about nature’s services, we can better
problem-solve in favor of biodiversity solutions. The paperback
promotes itself as a valuable source of information for indoor and
organic, outdoor-problem solving. Amazon offers the book used for $4.98
plus shipping and handling and it’s a five star rating.
Our Ecological
Footprint: Reducing Human Impact on Earth. Wackernagel, M. and W.
Rees. 1995. New Society Publishers. Gabriola, British Columbia. pp.
160. (Book)
Individual and collective
environmental impacts aka “ecological footprints,” take center stage in
this book by Wackernagel and Rees. Facts and arguments blend favorably
to justify the necessity of lifestyle changes in order to achieve
sustainability. The authors’ assessment is accompanied by good charts,
diagrams, and illustrations and reinforced by real world applications,
an environmental science book written in story form. The authors delve
into the science of carrying capacity (which makes this written piece
different from the ones above), and they tangle with more debatable
topics such as consumption. The last chapter provides a list of
strategies for sustainable living. It’s great food for thought on the
implications of sustainable living and how it impacts biodiversity and
not difficult reading. We recommend.
Green Links and Urban
Biodiversity: An Experiment in Connectivity. Shaefer, V. 2003.
Proceedings of the 2003 Georgia Basin/Puget Sound Research Conference.
www.psat.wa.gov/Publications/03_proceedings/PAPERS/ORAL/2c_schae.pdf
Ecosystems are fragmented by urban
areas; most folks won’t disagree. However Schaefer revisits this topic
because fragmentation leads to isolation and habitat loss, the greatest
threats to biodiversity. Sustainable principles call for recognizing
fragments as lost connections to larger plant and animal populations and
larger and more complex food webs. In maintaining or reestablishing
ecosystem connections, we are encouraged to plant native vegetation in
our yards and maintain natural cycles while building corridors between
habitats to protect biodiversity. This article visualizes the larger
context while enabling humans to view themselves as part of that larger
system. Schaefer uses the Green Links Project in Vancouver, B.C. as a
case study. It is an empowering story that can move us to make a
difference.
Engaging the Public on
Biodiversity: A Road Map for Education and Communication. Elder, J.
1998. Communication Strategies. CGBD Biodiversity Project. Madison,
Wisconsin. pp. 139. (Book)
Become a leader in your community
for conserving biodiversity; it would be an awesome mission. Once you
connect on an emotional, spiritual, and ethical level with others, major
accomplishments in preservation can be achieved. More importantly, once
you learn more about people, their needs and priorities become a kind of
road map for engaging them in the process of change. This
communications article stresses the importance of speaking plain
language and appealing to what is important on a local level. For
example, leaders are advised not to address the problem of global
warming generally, but to discuss what we can all do locally as active
participants. If you are taking steps to make progressive changes in
your neighborhood, this is a good article. Find out what’s important
for a leader to know about conserving and communicating on the topic of
biodiversity conservation.
The Role of Protected
Areas in Conserving Biodiversity and Sustaining Local Livelihoods.
Naughton-Treves, L., M. Holland, and K. Brandon. 2005. Annual Reviews
of Environmental Resource. (30):219-252. (Journal article)
Sectioning off or sanctioning
parcels of land to be conserved has been a principle tool for
governmental efforts in biodiversity. While this prevents destruction
by humans of certain habitats, there are risks and consequences of not
addressing socioeconomic needs. Such cautionary thinking is part of a
larger discussion on maintaining biodiversity and conservation while
considering socioeconomic needs, and even going so far as to allow
incorporation of socioeconomic development in conservation efforts. The
result is a shift in favor of protected areas being opened for local
resource use. Rather than isolate land for conservation the authors
argue for managing development in support of healthy ecosystems on a
different scale. Without excluding humans, areas are being considered
for use in their natural state as potential sites for ecologically
sensitive activities. The value in this tenet comes from learning how
to create man-made products within the natural ecosystem. For example,
Wildlife Reserves and National Forest timberland, valued for the items
they naturally provide, are examples of the difference between parks
that do and don’t hinder the social economic use of land.
Homeowners aware of the variables
involved with sustainable topics know that it is not a matter of
isolating biodiversity; rather it is a delicate balance of interactions
between wildlife and humans. Roping off our yards is not the point.
The discussion presented by these authors is that creating an ecosystem
(in your backyard, for example) can sustain itself in the broader
picture of land conservation and biodiversity issues. This article
gives a bigger picture of biodiversity and sustainable issues... it will
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